pressthe6 Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 midi newb here and trying to get my helix to talk to a beatbuddy. got the breakout cable for the BB. my only other midi cable is one of these https://www.amazon.com/Mugig-interface-Drivers-Keyboard-Instruments/dp/B0739M6XZ1/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 . a midi-in, midi-out, AND usb. picture attached. I don't need the usb for this application so i'm just trying to run the midi out (of helix) to midi in (of BB breakout cable). nothing seems to be working so I'm wondering if this cable ONLY sends signals to the usb and you cannot use the midi in and out independent of the usb connection. may be a goofy question but my knowledge is all trial and error, so before I spend another hour driving myself crazy, is it the cable??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rd2rk Posted February 2, 2020 Share Posted February 2, 2020 These MIDI interfaces require a "host" computer that runs a driver. Neither Helix nor any MIDI instrument (including Beat Buddy) are "hosts". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 22 hours ago, pressthe6 said: midi newb here and trying to get my helix to talk to a beatbuddy. got the breakout cable for the BB. my only other midi cable is one of these https://www.amazon.com/Mugig-interface-Drivers-Keyboard-Instruments/dp/B0739M6XZ1/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8 . a midi-in, midi-out, AND usb. picture attached. I don't need the usb for this application so i'm just trying to run the midi out (of helix) to midi in (of BB breakout cable). nothing seems to be working so I'm wondering if this cable ONLY sends signals to the usb and you cannot use the midi in and out independent of the usb connection. may be a goofy question but my knowledge is all trial and error, so before I spend another hour driving myself crazy, is it the cable??? Not sure exactly what you are trying to accomplish here? Do you just want to send MIDI clock from the Helix to the Beatbuddy or are you also trying to issue MIDI footswitch commands to the BeatBuddy? Far from expert on this topic but the video link below for synching the Helix and Beatbuddy's MIDI clock might help you out if that is all you are after. Additionally it also seems like you should be able to send the BeatBuddy other MIDI commands from the Helix command center. Anyone tried this? I would forget about using the additional MIDI to USB cable you are showing in your original post. The BeatBuddy MIDI manual recommends a PS/2 to 5-pin MIDI IN/OUT breakout cable instead of the one you are showing. You also mention that you have that cable. I would use that one. Should be the one at the following link: https://singularsound.com/product/midi-sync-cable/ The video shows examples of sending MIDI clock from the Helix to the Beatbuddy or vice versa. Not sure whether you are going to require a "MIDI Sync breakout" cable as described below in bold-italics from the Beatbuddy literature, or perhaps you can get away with just using a a single PS/2 to 5pin MIDI cable to slave the Beatbuddy to the Helix as long as you are only sending MIDI in one direction. Sure looks like that's what the fellow who made the video did. Anyway connect your breakout cable'(the one you own that is recommended by BeatBuddy) from the MIDI "Synch" jack on the Beatbuddy using the MIDI In cable on the breakout to the MIDI output jack on the Helix. After you're connected then set the Helix and Beatbuddy's settings accordingly slaving the Beatbuddy's MIDI clock to the Helix. Make sure your MIDI base channel is the same on both devices. Unfortunately the video doesn't go into how to set up MIDI commands from the Helix to the BeatBuddy or show the hardware connections they used. There is one brief reference that seems to indicate it is possible to send MIDI commands via snapshots in the video. Once you get both devices talking though if the BeatBuddy can receive MIDI clock it seems it might also be also able to receive other MIDI commands, assigned in the Helix command center and activated by footswitch. That is the case for many other devices. Feel free to correct or advise ye MIDI or BeatBuddy experts. I would take a good look at the Beatbuddy MIDI manual for more info on how to connect and what "transport" commands are available in addition to MIDI clock synching. There are quite a few of them listed - https://singularsound.com/downloadable/BeatBuddy-MIDISettings-Firmware-v1.77.pdf From the BeatBuddy MIDI manual: "How do I connect my BeatBuddy with MIDI? On the output side of the BeatBuddy there is a “MIDI Sync” port. In order to keep the BeatBuddy in a compact single pedal format while still accommodating both IN and OUT MIDI, a special MIDI Sync breakout cable (sold separately) is required to convert the BeatBuddy’s PS/2 MIDI Sync port into 2 standard full size 5-pin MIDI ports for MIDI IN and MIDI OUT. You will still need a normal 5-pin MIDI cable to connect the MIDI Sync Cable to your other MIDI device. When BeatBuddy is Master: Connect the BeatBuddy’s MIDI Sync OUT to the other device’s IN port. When BeatBuddy is Slave: Connect the BeatBuddy’s MIDI Sync IN to the other device’s OUT port. ... Additional control with external MIDI fooswitch. Some users want a footswitch for every function (drum fill, transition, outro, tap tempo, etc.). So we have created a special ‘CC’ MIDI command for practically every function the BeatBuddy has, so you can control the BeatBuddy from another device." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pressthe6 Posted February 3, 2020 Author Share Posted February 3, 2020 Thanks For the replies. I’ve watched that video about four times and unfortunately there is no mention of the cables, which is where my snafu is. I think. I have the beatbuddy breakout cable, which is a single PS/2 to a 5 pin in and a 5 pin out. Cannot connect this cable directly to the helix because the breakout cable is female and the helix connection is female. The only other midi cable I had lying around the house was the one above. I was trying to use the 5 pins to connect with no need for the USB connector. So either I’m doing something wrong in the settings, which is not out of the question, or this cable is exclusively Midi over USB and will not work without the USB connection. Wondering if that is a common occurrence with some cables. I’m going to get a regular Midi cable today and try again. Like I said, trial and error seems to be the only way I learn Midi, which sucks if the errors take up hours of my time :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
codamedia Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 12 minutes ago, pressthe6 said: I have the beatbuddy breakout cable, which is a single PS/2 to a 5 pin in and a 5 pin out. Cannot connect this cable directly to the helix because the breakout cable is female and the helix connection is female. All you need to do is connect standard midi cables to that breakout and the Helix. 12 minutes ago, pressthe6 said: The only other midi cable I had lying around the house was the one above. Wrong cable... That was MIDI to USB and is used to connect to a computer. The two MIDI plugs on that cable will not talk to each other because one in an input, the other an output. 12 minutes ago, pressthe6 said: I’m going to get a regular Midi cable today and try again. That is where it starts... then you need to get the midi implementation right. Once you have the proper cables hooked up, follow the video instructions. NOTE: Always remember, OUT of one device goes to an IN on another device. Never IN to IN or Out to Out. If you only need the Helix to control the Beat Buddy... then you should only need Helix OUT to Beat Buddy IN. (one cable) If you need it the other way around it would be Beat Buddy Out to Helix IN. (one cable) If you want two way communication, you need TWO midi cables... one flowing each way (two cables) 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HonestOpinion Posted February 3, 2020 Share Posted February 3, 2020 ^^^^This! Looks like the confusion was that because the breakout cable provided female In/Out ends that you still need a standard 5 pin MIDI cable(s) in addition to connect to the Helix. That was in the bolded blurb I included in my original post from the BeatBuddy manual but Codamedia honed in correctly on that as the remaining issue. My guess remains that once you have this hooked up you should be able to operate the BeatBuddy by footswitches from the Helix as well as synch the MIDI clock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pressthe6 Posted February 4, 2020 Author Share Posted February 4, 2020 Sure enough I just needed a standard cable instead of the one I was using. Time for more trial and error. Thanks for the guidance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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